Seeking Harry
by eQuasarus
Summary: [One-Shot] Dumbledore tries his best to deal with Harry and his last attempts haven't gone so hot. When harry disappears Tonks and other order members are sent to look for him. [HaT Monthly Challenge fic 11.2004]


**Disclaimer:** As with every other writer on I am a mere cheap rip-off from the real thing. (Not that I'm trying to put anyone down.) I am using characters and places created by JK Rowling. No money has passed hands (I can only wish) and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Summary:** Monthly challenge for the yahoo-group HarryandTonks (formerly known as PinkHairGreenEyes – which got deleted by yahoo). link is on my bio for those interested.  
Seeking Harry. Any rating and no word count limit.  
Dumbledore has been trying to make amends with Harry. His latest attempt has resulted in further damage to his office and now Harry's disappeared. Tonks and other OotP members have been brought in to find him and convince him to return to Hogwarts.  
Required phrases in a story: "You're pushing too hard" - "How in the name of Merlin did you do that"

**Author Notes: **Go join the HarryandTonks Y!Group and read the old challenge stories – maybe get inspired to write your own.

Seeking Harry  
• eQuasarus •

Harry wasn't exactly sure where he was. He remembered getting angry and marching out of the castle into the forbidden forest – just to piss off Dumbledore. The problem was, he hadn't been thinking. He'd walked until his anger had died off a bit, which took an extraordinarily long time, and he looked up. If he'd been anywhere else he might feel better, but he'd seen a few of the things the forest had to offer to trespassers and he wasn't sure if he wanted to see what else lay inside it.

Holding his wand out he muttered the Four-Point Spell he'd learned a couple of years before. It spun, pointing to the north finally. Harry stared at it and wondered which direction he should go. He had originally headed east, but he was sure that he'd veered off course more than once. Just going west wasn't going to get him back to Hogwarts. Though, it was a start.

He walked for a little while, checking on his direction every few minutes while he seethed. Dumbledore had laid out some more truths, things he hadn't mentioned during his last truth-telling session after Sirius died. Of course, some things had been mentioned about his family, his inheritance, and why he couldn't be allowed to accept the Black family inheritance, all of which had driven Harry up the wall. He was tired of having his life controlled, it wasn't just irritating, it was infuriating. He had spent most of the summer locked up in the Black Manor, the last place he wanted to be, even with the option of being with the Dursleys, and not one good friend was allowed to visit.

Ron and his family had been dealing with ministry affairs, and looking like a normal wizarding family. They were trying to stay out of the spotlight, especially now that Arthur had become junior undersecretary to the new minister. Madam Bones had been appointed after a fiasco with Fudge and some shadowy things that had suddenly appeared for the public's scrutiny. Hermione and her parents had been on a vacation on the other side of the world, something Dumbledore had suggested. It got them away from the magical world and Voldemort. He had some far reaching contacts who were watching them just in case Voldemort should decide to go after them.

Tonks had been around occasionally, she seemed to spend most of her non-working time there, which really didn't translate too much time. She usually ended up passed out on the couch in the library or in one of the spare bedrooms. Harry had even found her passed out in his room, looking as if she'd been waiting for him. He spoke to her even less than he saw her, exchanging a handful of words a week. She irritated him because every time he saw her when she was awake she gave him a look that made him turn away, the look that said she understood a little bit of what he was going through. Harry knew that she didn't, no one did, no one could understand what it was like to finally, after so many years, find someone that loved him, only to have that person kept from his presence, and then killed because he had made a mistake. No one would ever understand what was going on his mind.

A twig snapped and Harry whirled around, looking for danger. He didn't see anything, but a chill ran up his spine and he knew that _something_ was near. "Who is it?" he asked gruffly. The fury that someone was out there overrode his fear of what else it might be. He held up his wand, challenging whoever it was to come forward.

There was absolute stillness. The forest had become so quiet that it seemed as if it had just died.

"COME OUT!" Harry screamed. Something inside him snapped and several of the nearby trees found themselves half uprooted and leaning away from Harry.

"Alright, alright," a voice said, a soft voice that sounded vaguely familiar. One of the trees that had escaped Harry's wrath moved and feet formed, then slender legs and a torso. It wasn't long before black hair and dark red lips appeared. "Really Harry, you shouldn't be running around the forest alone. It really isn't safe."

"Who are you?" Harry asked suspiciously.

The girl opened her mouth, then tried to speak, but no words came out. Finally she scrunched up her nose and it immediately turned into a pig snout. Harry didn't even crack a smile.

"Ah," Tonks said, defeated. "That always gets them laughing."

She stepped forward, but froze as Harry's wand twitched. "What are you doing here?" Harry demanded.

Tonks backed away, finding a spot to sit on a large root that was now positioned well above the ground. "You know," she said quietly. "You really made a mess of Dumbledore's office. When the order got there he was sitting there looking like he'd been kicked in the gut a little harder than was necessary. How in the name of Merlin did you do that to him?"

"Serves him right," Harry snorted, turning away from Tonks and heading in the direction that he had been going before Tonks showed up. He was quite sure she'd follow behind and even more sure that he wouldn't be able to see her if she didn't want to be seen. If she hadn't stepped on the little branch he might never have known she was there, but then, this was Tonks, and she most certainly would have stepped on, or tripped over something before he found his way back to Hogwarts.

"How long have you been there?" Harry asked while trudging forward.

"Long enough to wonder what the poor little rabbit did to you? You practically flayed him alive."

"It startled me," Harry said sharply, but refused to turn back to her.

"Well then, remind me never to startle you," Tonks snapped back. Harry could hear her stop and he strained to hear her start walking again. Even though he wasn't about to admit it, the forest seemed a whole hell of a lot easier to transverse with Tonks nearby and he really didn't want to be alone at the moment no matter how much it seemed like that.

She didn't move forward again, but he did hear her move again, crunching a small plant on the ground. He turned to see her sitting on the ground with a frown on her face.

"You know," she said when she saw he'd turned. "I actually felt sorry for you, sorry you have had to deal with more shit than most of us could even comprehend. But now, now you just sounded like a spoiled brat. Maybe Snape was right."

Harry trembled in rage again. Tonks looked startled as she started to lift off the ground, wobbling this way and that and having no control over

"That's right," she snapped when she regained her balance in mid-air. "Maybe you're as worthless and pathetic as he claims you are, trashing Dumbledore's office, putting all your friends in danger. Minerva told me that you wanted to become an Auror, but I don't think you've got the will to do it. Being an Auror isn't about power, it's about working together and getting things done that no one else can do and you're not capable of that apparently."

Tonks crashed to the ground, but she recovered splendidly, making it back to her feet in no time at all.

"YOU'RE WRONG," Harry snarled. "I CAN BE ANYTHING I WAN'T."

Tonks smiled wickedly. "I could win in a duel against you without even using my wand," she replied calmly.

Harry raised his wand. "You're on," he shouted at her, watching her like a hawk. She nodded and he flicked it forward, muttering a stupefy spell. Tonks was unable to avoid it, being as close as she was and was sent flying through the trees, only to get slammed into one of the large one's that was partially uprooted. She groaned and tried to pull herself to her feet, but slipped back to the ground.

Horrified, and angry that Tonks had tricked him into hurting her, he marched over, intent to help her up and then yell at her. As he stood above her and reached down he was surprised to find she moved quicker than he'd ever seen. All at once she was standing directly in front of him with her lips locked against his.

Two beautiful brown eyes stared into his, making him tingle. He shuddered and leaned into her slightly, not sure what he was doing, but enjoying it more than anything he'd ever done in his life. The simple warmth that radiated from her made parts of him whole again. One hand slipped up her back, holding her gently, moving slowly and softly across it. He swallowed, but didn't let her go, wishing that it would suddenly last forever. Her hand snaked into his, fingers slipping in between his own and holding him. Then, gently, she pulled back.

Neither of them spoke for a few minutes. Harry's hand had moved up to her face and he was touching it lovingly, no longer angry at anyone or anything. He was the one that spoke first, a whisper, because his throat had gone dry all of the sudden. "Why?" he asked, tears welling up in his eyes.

Tonks reached up with her hand and wiped the tears away just as they started. "You're pushing to hard Harry. You can't win like that. Your friends, me, we're here for you, and we're not going anywhere. If you keep pushing it'll take you over the edge, and I couldn't let my favorite person in the world do that."

She kissed him on the cheek gently, and squeezed his hand. "I've been holding back because I thought that's what you wanted, to keep everyone safe. I can't do that anymore. Not after that kiss. I know you need someone and I'd be willing to be that person if you'd let me."


End file.
